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Southeastern to continue recycling of Christmas trees to build up wetlands

HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University will again collect used Christmas trees
in partnership with area businesses and government agencies as part of its annual
Christmas tree collection effort designed to enhance wetland restoration efforts in
the Pass Manchac area. Southeastern scientists at the university’s Turtle Cove Environmental Research
Station, located on Pass Manchac between lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas, use the
discarded trees to help build up marshland in areas that have been impacted by erosion
and other factors, said Turtle Cove Manager Rob Moreau. Partnering in the project for the second year is the Southeastern Sustainability
Center on North Oak Street, which will serve as a drop-off point for area residents
to leave their used Christmas trees. Other partners include the city of Hammond and
Middendorfs Restaurant in Manchac, as drop-off sites. In addition, Lowes in Hammond
again will donate unsold trees. Trees can be dropped off beginning Dec. 26 through Mardi Gras from 7 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. at the Hammond Maintenance facility, 18104 Hwy. 190, next to Piggly Wiggly Super
Market. The Southeastern Sustainability Center, 2101 North Oak Street, will collect
trees beginning Jan. 5 through the end of the month from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through
Thursday and 8 to 10 a.m. on Friday. Moreau said a Turtle Cove trailer drop off site
will also be maintained at Middendorfs Restaurant. He said the City of Hammond will provide transport of collected trees to the Turtle
Cove Galva Canal parking lot area in Manchac where they will be stored until they
are deployed in the marshes. No flocked trees will be accepted, and all trees should be stripped of any ornaments,
lights, tinsel and stands. Rob Moreau said the trees will be used to continue a pilot project started last
year to determine whether the recycled trees can help fill in the logging ditches,
formed when the area’s cypress forests were cut down over a hundred-plus year span. “The ditches allow salt water intrusion and increase the erosion process,” Moreau
said. “Under the supervision of biology researcher Dr. Gary Shaffer, we will place
trees in some selected ditches to determine if they can accumulate enough sediment
that might assist in filling them in. We’ll monitor and evaluate this process over
the next several years to determine its feasibility. If successful, this technique
could be used in other similarly stressed ecosystems in coastal Louisiana.” This marks the 21st straight year Southeastern has conducted its recycled tree
program, which in the past was supported with funds from the state’s Natural Resources
Program. The grant support was discontinued several years ago, and Moreau has relied
on volunteers and students to deploy the trees in the Manchac wetlands. More than
35,000 trees have been deployed through the Southeastern program. Moreau said the benefits of the tree recycling program include protection against
shoreline erosion, building of land to offset subsidence and sea-level rise, creation
of new habitats for plants and animals and reducing waste going to landfills. “The program is also a great way to conduct community service and environmental
education from a hands-on standpoint for people of all ages,” he said. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Moreau at rmoreau@southeastern.edu or by visiting the website at www.southeastern.edu/turtlecove and looking under the “Events” link. Donations to help support the activity can be sent by check payable to “Friends
of Turtle Cove” and mailed to Southeastern Box 10585, Hammond, LA 70402 or can be
made by credit card by visiting the Turtle Cove web site and under the “Friends and
Donors” link.